Portable system and methodology that facilitates dust collection within a silo apparatus

ABSTRACT

Aspects to facilitate dust collection are disclosed. In one aspect, a chute provides a dust seal between a bulk bag of material and a silo loading hatch. Here, the dust seal comprises a first seal between a first end of the chute and the bulk bag, and a second seal between a second end of the chute and the silo loading hatch. In another aspect, a collapsible chute is extended between a silo loading hatch and a discharge chute of a bulk bag such that the collapsible chute forms a dust seal between the silo loading hatch and the bulk bag. Contents of the bulk bag are released via the discharge chute so that the contents of the bulk bag flow into the silo loading hatch. For this embodiment, the dust seal prevents airborne dust associated with the flow from escaping into an exterior portion of the collapsible chute.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/644,660, filed Jul. 7, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,799,824, entitled“PORTABLE SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGY THAT FACILITATES DUST COLLECTION WITHINA SILO APPARATUS,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/836,934, filed Aug. 26, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,016,712,entitled “PORTABLE SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGY THAT FACILITATES DUSTCOLLECTION WITHIN A SILO APPARATUS,” which claims priority to and thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/158,525,filed May 7, 2015, which is entitled “PORTABLE SYSTEM AND METHODOLOGYTHAT FACILITATES DUST COLLECTION WITHIN A SILO APPARATUS”. Accordingly,the entire contents of each of the aforementioned patent applicationsare hereby expressly incorporated by reference

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject disclosure generally relates to dust collection, and morespecifically to a portable system and methodology that facilitates dustcollection.

BACKGROUND

In order to produce dry cement-based products on site, contractorssometimes utilize a portable silo system, which reduces the cost oflabor and the amount of waste that is common with conventional batchingmethods. The use of a portable silo system typically requires emptying aheavy-duty bulk bag of mixing material into a top portion of a funnelshaped silo, wherein the mixing material is subsequently emptied fromthe silo into a mixer below, as desired. During these two processes,however, much of the mixing material escapes into the surroundingenvironment in the form of dust, which could be harmful to workers.

Accordingly, a dust collection mechanism which prevents such dust fromescaping during loading of a silo and/or mixer is desirable. To thisend, it should be noted that the above-described deficiencies are merelyintended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventionalsystems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with thestate of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the variousnon-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of thefollowing detailed description.

SUMMARY

A simplified summary is provided herein to help enable a basic orgeneral understanding of various aspects of exemplary, non-limitingembodiments that follow in the more detailed description and theaccompanying drawings. This summary is not intended, however, as anextensive or exhaustive overview. Instead, the sole purpose of thissummary is to present some concepts related to some exemplarynon-limiting embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the moredetailed description of the various embodiments that follow.

In accordance with one or more embodiments and corresponding disclosure,various non-limiting aspects are described in connection with a portabledust collection system. In one such aspect, an apparatus to facilitatedust collection is disclosed, which includes a chute configured toprovide a dust seal between a bulk bag of material and a loading hatchof a silo. Within such embodiment, the dust seal comprises a first sealbetween a first end of the chute and a bottom portion of the bulk bag,and further comprises a second seal between a second end of the chuteand a top portion of the loading hatch.

In another aspect, a method to facilitate dust collection is disclosed,which includes configuring a chute to provide a dust seal between a bulkbag of material and a loading hatch of a silo. For this embodiment, theconfiguring includes forming a first seal between a first end of thechute and a bottom portion of the bulk bag, and further includes forminga second seal between a second end of the chute and a top portion of theloading hatch.

In a further aspect, another method to facilitate dust collection isdisclosed, which includes extending a collapsible chute between a siloloading hatch and a discharge chute of a bulk bag. Within suchembodiment, the extending forms a dust seal between the silo loadinghatch and the bulk bag. The method further includes releasing contentsof the bulk bag via the discharge chute such that the contents of thebulk bag flow into the silo loading hatch. For this embodiment, the dustseal prevents airborne dust associated with the flow from escaping intoan exterior portion of the collapsible chute.

Other embodiments and various non-limiting examples, scenarios andimplementations are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various non-limiting embodiments are further described with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a silo in accordance with an aspect of thesubject specification;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a silo in accordance with an aspect of thesubject specification;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating a view within an exemplarycollapsible chute in accordance with an aspect of the subjectspecification;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a mixer in accordance with an aspect of thesubject specification;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of a first view of an exemplary apparatus thatfacilitates removing airborne dust from a mixer in accordance with anaspect of the subject specification;

FIG. 6 is a schematic of a second view of an exemplary apparatus thatfacilitates removing airborne dust from a mixer in accordance with anaspect of the subject specification;

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustrating an exemplary area of negativepressure created by air flow in accordance with an aspect of the subjectspecification;

FIG. 8 is a schematic of a side view of an exemplary apparatus thatfacilitates removing airborne dust from a mixer in accordance with anaspect of the subject specification;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a plurality of dust-generating devices inaccordance with an aspect of the subject specification; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a plurality of dust-generating devices inaccordance with an aspect of the subject specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

The various embodiments disclosed herein are directed towards preventingmixing material from escaping as dust within the context of portablesilo systems. Here, it should be appreciated that the portable dustcollection systems described herein are defined as systems capable ofbeing readily installed onto a material silo by one person in arelatively short period of time (e.g., less than one hour). Portablesystems as defined herein are therefore systems that are significantlysmaller and lighter than conventional systems, and can thus be easilycarried or moved.

As previously stated, dust primarily escapes from silo systems eitherwhen the mixing material is loaded into a silo, or when the mixingmaterial is emptied into a mixer. Accordingly, in a first aspect, anapparatus configured to facilitate dust collection when loading mixingmaterial into a silo is disclosed. Within such embodiment, the apparatusis configured as a portable vacuum, filtration, and dust collectionunit, wherein a dust seal is formed between a bulk bag of material and aloading hatch of the silo. During operation, it is contemplated that avacuum source provides a negative pressure to an area proximate to theloading hatch, wherein airborne dust within the silo is removed by thenegative pressure and collected into a filter component.

In another aspect, an apparatus configured to facilitate dust collectionwhen emptying mixing material into a mixer is disclosed. Within suchembodiment, the apparatus is configured as a portable vacuum,filtration, and dust collection unit, wherein a dust seal is formedbetween a silo discharge gate and the mixer. During operation, it iscontemplated that a vacuum source provides a negative pressure to anarea proximate to the silo discharge gate, wherein airborne dust withinthe mixer is removed by the negative pressure and collected into afilter component.

In a further aspect, rather than having separate dust collectionsystems, a single design is contemplated which can facilitate dustcollection on multiple dust generating devices. Within such embodiment,the apparatus is configured as a portable vacuum, filtration, and dustcollection unit, wherein a dust seal is formed between the apparatus anda plurality of dust generating devices (e.g., a silo, a mixer, and/or apower saw). Here, the apparatus further comprises a flow selector valveconfigured to select at least one desired air flow corresponding to anair flow between the apparatus and at least one selected dust source.During operation, it is contemplated that a vacuum source provides anegative pressure within the selected dust source(s), wherein airbornedust within the selected dust source(s) is removed by the negativepressure and collected into a filter component.

Silo Dust Collection Embodiment

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a block diagram and schematic arerespectively provided of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a silo in accordance with an aspect of thedisclosure. As illustrated, apparatus 100 comprises a portable housing110 coupled to an input component 120, wherein the portable housing 110further comprises a vacuum source 112, a filter component 114, and adust containment component 116. For this embodiment, the input component120 also comprises at least one inlet 122, as shown, wherein the inputcomponent 120 is configured as a conduit between the portable housing110 and a silo 200. In a particular aspect, the vacuum source 112 isconfigured to provide a negative pressure within an interior portion ofthe silo 200 by creating an air flow from the interior portion of thesilo 200 to the portable housing 110 via the input component 120,wherein the filter component 114 is coupled to the input component 120and configured to collect airborne dust removed from the silo 200 by thenegative pressure.

An exemplary operation of apparatus 100 is now described in accordancewith an aspect of the disclosure. With the vacuum source 112 powered on,a vacuum or negative pressure is created inside the silo 200 and in thevicinity of the collapsible chute 124. In a particular aspect, thecollapsible chute 124 is made from flexible material (e.g., canvas,plastic, rubber, rice paper, etc.) and includes a built-in springtension to provide vertical pressure against the top of the silo 200 anda bulk bag 220 of material (e.g., cement-based material) so as to createa relatively sealed area that can contain local dust (e.g., silica,cement mix, wood dust, lint, and/or any other type of airborne dust,including any of various types of dust deemed harmful by regulatorybodies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA))and maintain a negative pressure or vacuum within an interior portion ofthe silo 200 in an area proximate to the silo loading hatch 210 (i.e.,to ensure that the seal created by the collapsible chute 124 preventsairborne dust levels outside of the collapsible chute 124 from exceedingacceptable OSHA standards, for example). Next, the bulk bag 220 islifted into position above the silo loading hatch 210 and lowered downon to the collapsible chute 124 creating a dust seal. In FIG. 3, forinstance, a schematic illustrating a view within an exemplarycollapsible chute is provided, which shows the dust seal formed byextending the collapsible chute 124 up from the silo loading hatch 210to the discharge chute of the bulk bag 220.

After the dust seal is formed, the discharge chute of the bulk bag 220is untied and released allowing the contents of the bulk bag 220 to flowinto the silo 200. The resulting airborne dust inside the collapsiblechute 124 and inside the silo 200 is evacuated via a vent hole of thesilo 200 through the inlet 122 (e.g., a vacuum hose) and into the filtercomponent 114. Within a particular embodiment, the filter component 114comprises a multi-stage filtration system optimized to collect dustparticles of un-hydrated cement and silica, wherein airborne dust drawnfrom the silo 200 via the inlet 122 travels through a first stagefiltration system, then into a second stage filtration system, andsubsequently trapped in the dust containment component 116. The cleanfiltered air then travels through a vacuum fan of the vacuum source 112and out into the local atmosphere. Periodically, the dust containmentcomponent 116 may be emptied and disposed of appropriately. For example,depending on the type of material, the contents of the dust containmentcomponent 116 may be recovered and added directly to a mixer system.

With respect to the filter component 114, it should be appreciated thatvarious configurations for filtering dust drawn from the silo arecontemplated. For instance, the first stage filtration may be configuredto filter the dust through a cyclonic separation process whicheliminates larger dust particles and captures a majority of the dustprior to moving on to the second stage filtration system. The secondstage filtration system may then, for example, utilize a cartridge orpleated media that can be cleaned and/or replaced periodically dependingon the dust micron level of collection required. Each of the first andsecond stage filtration system may then be coupled to the dustcontainment component 116, wherein the dust containment component 116may be a container secured with a vacuum tight fit during operationwhich may then be released and quickly removed for dust disposal.

Mixer Dust Collection Embodiment

Referring next to FIG. 4, a block diagram is provided of an exemplaryapparatus that facilitates removing airborne dust from a mixer inaccordance with an aspect of the disclosure. Schematic illustrations ofsuch an exemplary apparatus are also provided in FIGS. 5-8. Asillustrated, apparatus 300 comprises a portable housing 310 coupled toan input component 320, wherein the portable housing 310 furthercomprises a vacuum source 312, a filter component 314, and a dustcontainment component 316. For this embodiment, the input component 320also comprises at least one inlet 322, as shown, wherein the inputcomponent 320 is configured as a conduit between the portable housing310 and a mixer 400. In a particular aspect, the vacuum source 312 isconfigured to provide a negative pressure within an interior portion ofthe mixer 400 by creating an air flow from the interior portion of themixer 400 to the portable housing 310 via the input component 320,wherein the filter component 314 is coupled to the input component 320and configured to collect airborne dust removed from the mixer 400 bythe negative pressure. Here, in a particular embodiment, it should beappreciated that the mixer 400 is contemplated to be a portable mixer(e.g., a towable mixer used for mortar, grout, etc.).

An exemplary operation of apparatus 300 is now described in accordancewith an aspect of the disclosure. With the vacuum source 312 powered on,a vacuum or negative pressure is created inside the mixer 400 and in thevicinity of the mixer dust cover 324. In a particular embodiment, asillustrated in FIG. 7, this negative pressure is created within aninterior portion of the mixer 400 in an area proximate to the dischargechute collar 326. Once the negative pressure has been created, the silodischarge chute 230 is then opened which releases material into themixer 400. Here, the resulting airborne dust inside the mixer 400 isdesirably contained and evacuated through a dust collection port on themixer dust cover 324 through the inlet 322 (e.g., a vacuum hose) andinto the filter component 314. It is contemplated that filter component314 may be substantially similar to filter component 114, and may thuscomprise a multi-stage filtration system optimized to collect dustparticles of un-hydrated cement and silica, wherein airborne dust drawnfrom the mixer 400 via the inlet 322 travels through a first stagefiltration system, then into a second stage filtration system, andsubsequently trapped in the dust containment component 316. The cleanfiltered air then travels through a vacuum fan of the vacuum source 312and out into the local atmosphere.

With respect to the mixer dust cover 324, it should be appreciated thatvarious configurations are contemplated. For instance, the mixer dustcover 324 may comprise a dust collection port connected via inlet 322 tothe vacuum source 312. In a particular embodiment, the mixer dust cover324 is designed to cover a majority of the mixer 400 opening. Withinsuch embodiment, a substantially enclosed area is thus formed within atop portion of the mixer 400 when the mixer dust cover 324 is closed.When negative pressure is applied to this area via the vacuum source312, a significant flow of air towards the filter component 314 cantherefore be created to capture any airborne dust inside the mixer 400.As illustrated, the mixer dust cover 324 may also include an inspectiondoor 328 so that the mixer operator can inspect a mixed batch forhydration and plasticity.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the mixer dust cover 324 may also integrate adischarge chute collar 326 to receive the silo discharge chute 230 whichensures proper positioning of the mixer 400 relative to the silo 300 foroptimal dust capture. The discharge chute collar 326 may also beconfigured to lock a mixer dump latch 410 in a closed position duringoperation. For instance, the discharge chute collar 326 may beconfigured to swivel upwards towards the silo discharge chute 230, asshown, so as to unlock the mixer dump latch 410, which may then beswiveled downward to unload contents within.

Multiple Device Dust Collection Embodiment

Referring next to FIGS. 9 and 10, a block diagram and schematic arerespectively provided of an exemplary apparatus that facilitatesremoving airborne dust from a plurality of dust-generating devices inaccordance with an aspect of the disclosure. As illustrated, apparatus600 comprises a portable housing 610 coupled to an input component 620,wherein the portable housing 610 further comprises a vacuum source 612,a filter component 614, and a dust containment component 616. For thisembodiment, the input component 620 comprises a flow selector valve 621and a plurality of inlets 622, 624, and 626, respectively coupled to aplurality of dust sources (i.e., silo 700, mixer 800, and auxiliarydevice 900), as shown, wherein the input component 620 is configured asa conduit between the portable housing 610 and each of the plurality ofdust sources. The flow selector valve 621 is then configured to selectat least one desired air flow corresponding to an air flow between theportable housing 610 and at least one selected dust source 700, 800,and/or 900. In a particular aspect, the vacuum source 612 is configuredto provide a negative pressure within an interior portion of the atleast one selected dust source 700, 800, and/or 900 by creating the atleast one desired air flow from the interior portion of the at least oneselected dust source 700, 800, and/or 900 to the portable housing 610via the input component 620, wherein the filter component 614 is coupledto the input component 620 and configured to collect airborne dustremoved from the at least one selected dust source 700, 800, and/or 900by the negative pressure.

An exemplary operation of apparatus 600 is now described in accordancewith an aspect of the disclosure. If dust collection is desired forloading contents of a bulk bag into a silo (i.e., where the selecteddust source is silo 700), the vacuum source 612 is powered on while theflow selector valve 621 is switched to the corresponding setting forloading a silo (e.g., a “zone 1” setting may correspond to a silo 700).Thereafter, the operation of apparatus 600 is substantially similar tothe operation of apparatus 100, wherein the components of apparatus 100and apparatus 600 are also substantially similar. If dust collection isdesired for loading contents of a silo into a mixer (i.e., where theselected dust source is mixer 800), the vacuum source 612 is powered onwhile the flow selector valve 621 is switched to the correspondingsetting for loading a mixer (e.g., a “zone 2” setting may correspond toa mixer 800). Thereafter, the operation of apparatus 600 issubstantially similar to the operation of apparatus 300, wherein thecomponents of apparatus 300 and apparatus 600 are also substantiallysimilar.

As illustrated, apparatus 600 may also be configured to facilitate dustcollection within an auxiliary device 900. To this end, it should beappreciated that such auxiliary device 900 may be any of various devicesin which dust collection may be desired (e.g., the chop saw disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 8,869,786, which is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety). Namely, it is contemplated that the inlet 626 may be usedto couple apparatus 600 to any auxiliary device 900 in which a vacuum ornegative pressure is desired for dust collection. If dust collection isindeed desired for an auxiliary device 900, the vacuum source 612 ispowered on while the flow selector valve 621 is switched to thecorresponding setting for an auxiliary device 900 (e.g., a “zone 3”setting may correspond to an auxiliary device 900). Thereafter, theoperation of apparatus 600 is substantially similar to the operation ofapparatuses 100 and 300, wherein the components of apparatuses 100 and300 are also substantially similar to apparatus 600.

In a further aspect, it should be appreciated that although FIGS. 9 and10 only show a single silo 700, mixer 800, and auxiliary device 900,apparatus 600 may be configured to facilitate dust collection for anynumber of silos, mixers, and/or auxiliary devices. Furthermore, althoughoperation of apparatus 600 has been described within the context ofoperating one of silo 700, mixer 800, or auxiliary device 900 at a time,apparatus 600 may also be configured to simultaneously operate anycombination of silo 700, mixer 800, and/or auxiliary device 900.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example,instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subjectmatter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition,any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarilyto be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects ordesigns, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures andtechniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, tothe extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and othersimilar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims,for the avoidance of doubt, such terms are intended to be inclusive in amanner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition wordwithout precluding any additional or other elements.

The aforementioned systems have been described with respect tointeraction between several components. It can be appreciated that suchsystems and components can include those components or specifiedsub-components, some of the specified components or sub-components,and/or additional components, and according to various permutations andcombinations of the foregoing. Sub-components can also be implemented ascomponents coupled to other components rather than included withinparent components (hierarchical). Additionally, it is noted that one ormore components may be combined into a single component providingaggregate functionality or divided into several separate sub-components,and any one or more middle layers may be provided to couple to suchsub-components in order to provide integrated functionality. Anycomponents described herein may also interact with one or more othercomponents not specifically described herein but generally known bythose of skill in the art.

In view of the exemplary systems described supra, methodologies that maybe implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter can beappreciated with reference to the various figures. While for purposes ofsimplicity of explanation, the methodologies are described as a seriesof steps, it is to be understood and appreciated that the disclosedsubject matter is not limited by the order of the steps, as some stepsmay occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other steps fromwhat is described herein. Moreover, not all disclosed steps may berequired to implement the methodologies described hereinafter.

While the various embodiments have been described in connection with theexemplary embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understoodthat other similar embodiments may be used or modifications andadditions may be made to the described embodiment for performing thesame function without deviating there from. Therefore, the presentinvention should not be limited to any single embodiment.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus to facilitate dust collectioncomprising: a collapsible chute configured to provide a dust sealbetween a bulk bag of material and a loading hatch of a silo, whereinthe dust seal comprises a first seal between a first end of the chuteand a bottom portion of the bulk bag, and wherein the dust seal furthercomprises a second seal between a second end of the chute and a topportion of the loading hatch.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecollapsible chute includes a built-in spring tension configured tofacilitate the dust seal.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein thebuilt-in spring tension is configured to facilitate the dust seal byproviding: a first pressure at the first end of the collapsible chute;and a second pressure at the second end of the collapsible chute.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the first pressure and the second pressureprovided by the built-in spring tension are configured to maintain avacuum within an interior portion of the silo in an area proximate tothe loading hatch.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the materialincluded in the bulk bag is un-hydrated cement, and wherein the dustseal is configured to prevent portions of the un-hydrated cement fromescaping into an exterior portion of the chute.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the material included in the bulk bag is silica, andwherein the dust seal is configured to prevent portions of the silicafrom escaping into an exterior portion of the chute.
 7. A method tofacilitate dust collection comprising: extending a collapsible chutebetween a silo loading hatch and a discharge chute of a bulk bag,wherein the extending forms a dust seal between the silo loading hatchand the bulk bag; and releasing contents of the bulk bag via thedischarge chute, wherein the contents of the bulk bag flow into the siloloading hatch, and wherein the dust seal prevents airborne dustassociated with the flow from escaping into an exterior portion of thecollapsible chute.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the collapsiblechute includes a built-in spring tension, and wherein the extendingcomprises utilizing the built-in tension to form the dust seal betweenthe silo loading hatch and the bulk bag.